Atlassian CEO Won't Halt AI Development, Citing Global Race
Mike Cannon-Brookes told Atlassian Team Europe 2026 that pausing AI work is out of the company's hands, pointing to AI agents inside its tools.
Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes said the company will not slow down its AI development, telling the Atlassian Team Europe 2026 event that a pause is out of the company's hands given global competition in the field.
Cannon-Brookes framed the decision in geopolitical terms, pointing to the race among countries and companies working on AI rather than to Atlassian's own preferences.
He also positioned Atlassian within the wider software market, describing the company as one of the five biggest software vendors in the world.
As a differentiator, Cannon-Brookes highlighted AI agents built into Atlassian's tools, arguing they help the company build trust with users.
The CEO said customers subscribe for the software Atlassian will build, not the software it has already built. TechRadar reported his remarks from the event.
Quick answers
What did the Atlassian CEO say about AI development?
Mike Cannon-Brookes said Atlassian will not slow down its AI development and that pausing is out of the company's hands because of global competition.
Where did Mike Cannon-Brookes make these comments?
At the Atlassian Team Europe 2026 event.
How does Atlassian see its AI agents?
Cannon-Brookes highlighted AI agents baked into Atlassian tools as a differentiator for building trust.